This PS1 Horror Game Showed Just How Experimental the Genre Was Before Resident Evil Took Over

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Survival horror games are more popular than ever, evolving significantly since the early days of the PlayStation. Big-budget titles like *Silent Hill f* and *Dying Light: The Beast* demonstrate the impressive capabilities of major game studios, while independent games such as *No, I’m Not a Human* and *Carimara: Beneath The Forlon Limbs* offer fresh and inventive gameplay. This willingness to experiment has always been key to horror games, with developers constantly trying new things as the genre has developed into what we know today.

Released in 1996, *Resident Evil* was incredibly influential in popularizing survival horror games. It was a massive success on the PlayStation, and while it paved the way for many great games, it also overshadowed another strong contender. *Clock Tower*, released the same year, offered a slower, more suspenseful take on the genre. Though *Resident Evil* initially gained more attention, *Clock Tower’s* unique and experimental approach to design and storytelling continues to inspire some of today’s most acclaimed horror games.

Clock Tower Broke New Ground For A Brewing Genre

Man, *Clock Tower* was a really big deal back in the day, one of the first games to *really* make me feel scared. It wasn’t about blasting monsters, it was all about building tension. After the first game came out on the Super Famicom, the developers, Human Entertainment, quickly started working on a sequel for the PlayStation. When it launched in 1996, this *Clock Tower* (called *Clock Tower 2* in Japan) was a totally different experience – a point-and-click adventure where you had to investigate stuff while trying to survive. You play as either Jennifer Simpson or her mom, Helen Maxwell, and you’re thrown back into a nightmare with the Scissorman, even though you *thought* you dealt with him before. It’s creepy, and you really feel like you’re in a horror movie.

Coming out during the golden age of point-and-click adventure games like *The Secret of Monkey Island* and *Myst*, *Clock Tower* successfully translated that style of gameplay to console controllers. While exploring each location, players can quickly find themselves in a desperate escape if they run into Scissorman, the terrifying villain inspired by slasher films. The game builds on the chilling visuals and unsettling mood of the original, telling a more expansive story without losing any of the suspense, all due to its smart design.

The game emphasizes smarts, quick thinking, and a bit of luck—direct confrontation with the Scissorman is certain death. Players must run and hide to survive, which also gives them opportunities to search for clues and find other survivors. This focus on evasion and investigation was a creative solution to technical limitations and paved the way for modern survival horror games. Featuring two characters, full-motion video cutscenes, and multiple endings, *Clock Tower* was a remarkably ambitious early example of the horror games we enjoy today.

Clock Tower Was The Rival Resident Evil Needed

The *Clock Tower* games offered a slower, more atmospheric take on horror, focusing on exploration and building tension rather than fast-paced action like *Resident Evil* or *House of the Dead*. It’s similar to *Silent Hill* in that it emphasized exploration, but added its own unique visual style. While *Clock Tower* did have some startling moments, the true horror came from the constant, creeping fear created by Scissorman’s unpredictable and lethal attacks.

While point-and-click gameplay might feel old-fashioned today, it was a great way to create expansive worlds for players to explore on early consoles, given the technology at the time. It really made you think on your feet and figure out how to outsmart enemies like Scissorman. It created a unique kind of fear, different from what games like *Resident Evil* offered.

What sets *Clock Tower* apart is that, unlike games like *Resident Evil* which feature armed protagonists, it puts you in the role of ordinary women completely unprepared for the dangers they face. This focus on vulnerability has influenced modern horror games such as *Silent Hill f* and *Resident Evil 7: Biohazard*, though those titles benefit from updated graphics and more refined gameplay.

Clock Tower features a thrilling and frightening story similar to classic horror films like Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street. It combines a unique villain with a dreamlike and unsettling environment, reminiscent of John Carpenter’s style. The game’s spooky atmosphere and strange, but effective, narrative create a truly memorable and haunting experience. Clock Tower stood out from other video games, particularly on consoles, making it frustrating that it hasn’t received more recognition.

Modern Horror Has Taken The Lessons Of Clock Tower To Heart

Horror games really started to change when consoles moved to 16-bit graphics. While games like *Sweet Home* managed to create suspense even with the older, top-down style of the 8-bit era, *Alone in the Dark* demonstrated the potential of larger, more detailed environments for the genre. These games, and later *Clock Tower*, put players into immersive, frightening scenarios reminiscent of horror movies, focusing on both escaping danger and solving mysteries.

For years, the survival horror genre has been torn between creating a creepy atmosphere with a strong story, like the *Silent Hill* games, and focusing on intense action, as seen in *Resident Evil*. *Resident Evil* ultimately became the most popular example of the genre, launching shortly after *Clock Tower* on the PlayStation and helping establish Sony as a major competitor to Nintendo and SEGA. While *Clock Tower* was innovative for its emphasis on exploration and narrative, it wasn’t a commercial success.

While Capcom’s *Resident Evil* became a massive hit, the creators of *Clock Tower*, Human Entertainment, unfortunately went out of business. This led to the *Clock Tower* series ending with *Clock Tower 3* in 2002. Thankfully, the original *Clock Tower* game for Super Famicom was re-released in 2024 as *Clock Tower: Rewind*, offering a solid way to revisit a groundbreaking title. However, the popular second game also deserves attention, as it was highly influential in shaping the survival horror genre.

Although some criticized its slow pace and older point-and-click controls, *Clock Tower* was an excellent example of how to build tension in a horror game without compromising story or gameplay. It focused on escaping, hiding, and cleverly outmaneuvering the enemy, paving the way for modern horror titles like *Five Nights at Freddy’s*, *Amnesia*, *Outlast*, and *Alien Isolation*. These games—and their fans—owe a lot to *Clock Tower*’s developers, who demonstrated that horror games didn’t have to rely solely on action-focused combat, like the style seen in games like *Resident Evil*.

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2025-10-10 20:49